Society

Saving Money By Using What You Have

Everyone can start the journey of being frugal and begin saving money by adjusting little things each day. Here are a few steps you can take to use what you already have at hand and make what you already have last as long as possible.

USE LITTLE: By far the easiest first step will be to use the littlest amount of the items you already have. Start experimenting with finding the littlest amount of shampoo to continue to get the desired result. Or possibly you should only wash your hair every other day instead of daily. Do you really need that big glob of toothpaste on your toothbrush that will just end up at the bottom of the sink?

USE ALL: Think the toothpaste is empty? Try again! Is not another drop going to get squeezed out? Cut the top off and use every ounce there is. This practice could save you a week before you need to buy the next tube. Almost any household item can be used to the last drop. Add a little water to the bottom of the shampoo, cleaner, or soap. Use your hand, finger, q-tip or rag to get the last bit out of the deodorant, lip balm or any other container that keeps you from easily getting to the last bit of product.

REINVENT: Don’t have an ingredient for the recipe you want to make? Do a search on how to make that ingredient from items in your pantry or come up with a new recipe with items you have on hand. This method saved you a trip to the store, where most likely you would find more to buy than what you went to purchase initially.

REUSE: Have a Keurig? Use the k-cup twice. Depending on how strong you like your coffee, you can make two larges, two mediums, one large and one small, etc. Or even better, buy your favorite ground beans and utilize the reusable k-cup.

DIY: Cleaning day? There are a ton of DIY cleaner recipes made with vinegar, baking soda, and other common household items. Not ready to make your own? You can stretch store bought items by adding water, such as dish soap and hand soap, with a ratio of 1 part product and 1 part water. As you use the diluted products, you can adjust as needed by adding more water until you feel the solution has been stretched to the max.

REPURPOSE: Need a napkin or paper towel? Stop throwing money in the trash! You can dedicate old T-shirts and towels that are past their prime to be used as rags and napkins. Nothing around the house to repurpose into rags? For the same amount of money as buying disposable items, you can purchase new items and use them over and over not only saving money but also the environment.

With a little effort and making daily decisions by following these steps, you will be on your way to a more frugal life, with savings to be used for more urgent needs or just for a rainy day!